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MARKING YOUR QUEEN <br /> 1. Purchase enamel paint. Enamel-based paints dry quickly, have relatively little odor, and can last on • <br /> the queen for a long time. Purchase a paint pen (sold by beekeeping supply companies) that contains <br /> enamel-based paint, or Testor's enamel paints that come in small bottles for painting model airplanes. <br /> Colors that show up best (and look great on the queen) are white, green, blue, red, or yellow. To aid in <br /> keeping track of queen age, there is an international system of marking queens by the last digit of the <br /> year: years ending in 1 or 6 are white; years ending in 2 or 7 are yellow; years ending in 3 or 8 are red; <br /> years ending in 4 or 9 are green; and years ending in 5 or 0 are blue. <br /> 2. Practice painting drones. Remember, drones don't sting. Remove a frame from your colony that has <br /> adult drone bees on it and get comfortable. Without gloves, lift a drone from the comb by placing your <br /> fingers gently around the thorax (middle section of the bee where the wings and legs attach). Do not <br /> grab the abdomen, the soft part of the body, as this can damage the bee. Practice organizing yourself <br /> so you can apply a dab of paint on the center of the drone's thorax with one hand while holding him with <br /> the other. When you have perfected this technique, move to the next practice step: painting workers. <br /> 3. Try painting workers. Try picking up a worker by the thorax, painting her, and replacing her back on <br /> the comb. It is totally possible to lift and handle worker bees without getting stung. It makes for a great <br /> party trick. With practice it is easy and is an excellent way to gain confidence in your beekeeping skills. <br /> 4. Paint the queen. When you have perfected the art of marking drones and a few workers, you will find <br /> that marking the queen is a piece of cake. Remember to hold her without squeezing, and only around <br /> the thorax, not the abdomen.Avoid painting her wings or eyes. If your hands are trembling, take a deep <br /> breath and slow down. You can do it! <br /> INTRODUCING A NEW QUEEN • <br /> To introduce a new queen to a queenless colony, see the instructions in the section called "Slow Release <br /> Method for Introducing a New Queen to a Queenless Colony." <br /> • <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 80 <br />